Mike ScottSenior Journalist·NZ Herald·3 Jul, 2026 08:57 PM13 mins to readJoel Richardson overcame a troubled past to run an alternative education programme for teens excluded from school in Tokoroa. Photo / Mike ScottJoel Richardson overcame a troubled past to run an alternative education programme for teens excluded from school in Tokoroa. Photo / Mike ScottA Tokoroa man who survived state care abuse, gang life and prison is now running a programme for the town’s youth who have been excluded from mainstream education. But in a community gutted by mill closures, demand for the course outstrips what two men can do alone.
Standing in
